[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 188 (Wednesday, September 30, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50173-50175]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-23512]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XR89


Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings and hearings.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will 
hold its 102nd Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) and 146th 
Council meetings to take recommendations and action on fishery 
management issues in the Western Pacific Region.

DATES: The 102nd SSC Meeting will be held October 14-16, 2009, and the 
146th Council meeting will be held October 20-23, 2009. All meetings 
will be held in Honolulu, HI. For specific times and agendas, see 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: The SSC meetings will be held at the Council Office, 1164 
Bishop Street, Suite 1400, Honolulu, HI 96813, telephone: (808) 522-
8220. The Council Meeting will be held at the Laniakea YWCA-Fuller 
Hall, 1040 Richards Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, telephone: (808) 538-
7061.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director; 
telephone: (808) 522-8220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In addition to the agenda items listed here, 
the SSC and Council will hear recommendations from Council advisory 
groups. Public comment periods will be provided throughout the agendas. 
The order in which agenda items are addressed may change. The meetings 
will run as late as necessary to complete scheduled business.

Schedule and Agenda for 102nd SSC Meeting

8:30 a.m., Wednesday October 14, 2009

    1. Introductions
    2. Approval of Draft Agenda and Assignment of Rapporteurs
    3. Status of the 101st SSC Meeting Recommendations
    4. Report from the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center 
Director
    5. Program Planning
    A. Update on Catch Shares Task Force
    B. Habitat
    1. Habitat Assessment and Improvement Plan
    2. Report on Deep-Slope Habitat Workshop
    3. Review of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Habitat Areas of 
Particular Concern (HAPC)
    C. Public Hearing
    D. Discussion and Recommendations
    6. Insular Fisheries
    A. Hawaii Archipelago
    1. Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review (WPSAR) of Hawaii 
bottomfish
    2. Haleiwa Shark Viewing Tour Research
    3. Larval Dispersal Model
    B. Recommendations on Acceptable Biological Catches for Insular 
Stocks (Action)
    C. Public Hearing
    D. Discussion and Recommendations

8:30 a.m., Thursday October 15, 2009

    7. Pelagic Fisheries
    A. Longline Management
    1. Recommendations on Tuna Quota Management (Action)
    2. Recommendations on Territory Bigeye Longline Quotas (Action)
    B. Non-Longline Management
    1. Social and economic aspects of Hawaii's small boat fisheries
    2. Cross Seamount Total Allowable Catch
    3. Main Hawaiian Islands shortline management
    C. Update on Blue Shark Stock Assessment
    D. Hawaii Longline Shark Bycatch Information
    E. American Samoa and Hawaii Longline Quarterly Reports
    F. International Fisheries/Meetings
    1. Stock Assessments
    a. Western & Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) Bigeye Tuna
    b. WCPO Yellowfin Tuna
    c. South Pacific Albacore Tuna
    d. North Pacific Swordfish Tuna
    1. Report of the Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission 
(WCPFC) Science Committee
    2. Report of the WCPFC Northern Committee
    3. Report of the WCPFC Technical & Compliance Committee

[[Page 50174]]

    4. Report on North Pacific Regional Fishery Management 
Organization's Science Plan - Bob Humphreys
    G. Pelagic Plan Team Report - Keith Bigelow
    H. Public Hearing
    I. Discussion and Recommendations
    8. Protected Species
    A. Loggerhead Status Review
    B. Public Hearing
    C. Discussion and Recommendations

8:30 a.m., Friday October 16, 2009

    9. Other Business
    A. 103rd SSC Meeting
    10. Summary of SSC Recommendations to the Council

Schedule for 146th Council Meeting Standing Committees

10 a.m. - 12 noon, Tuesday October 20, 2009

Executive and Budget Standing Committee Meeting Schedule and Agenda for 
146th Council Meeting

2 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, October 20, 2009

    1. Introductions
    2. Approval of Agenda
    3. Approval of 145th Meeting Minutes
    4. Executive Director's Report
    5. Agency Reports
    A. National Marine Fisheries Service
    1. Pacific Islands Regional Office
    2. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
    B. NOAA General Counsel
    C. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    D. Law Enforcement
    1. U.S. Coast Guard
    2. NOAA NMFS Office for Law Enforcement
    3. NOAA General Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation
    E. Public Comments
    F. Council Discussion and Action
    6. Public Comments on Non-Agenda Items

9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Wednesday, October 21, 2009

    Guest Speaker: Effects of El Nino in the Western Pacific Region
    7. Mariana Archipelago Fisheries
    A. Island Reports - Council Members
    1. Arongol Faleey
    2. Isla Informe
    B. Enforcement Report - Council Members
    1. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)
    2. Guam
    C. Community Issues
    1. CNMI Division of Fish & Wildlife Effectiveness Model for Meeting 
the Conservation Goals of the Micronesian Challenge
    2. Update on Military Buildup
    3. Report on Guam Bio-sampling Workshop
    4. Guam Marine Conservation Plan (Action)
    D. Education and Outreach Reports
    1. CNMI
    2. Guam
    E. Legislative Reports
    F. SSC Recommendations
    G. Public Hearing
    H. Council Discussion and Action
    8. American Samoa Archipelago Fisheries
    A. Motu Lipoti
    B. Enforcement Report
    C. Community Issues
    1. Update on Proposed National Marine Sanctuaries
    2. Cannery Closure & Fisheries Development
    D. Education and Outreach Report
    E. Fono Report
    F. SSC Recommendations
    G. Public Comment
    H. Council Discussion and Action
    9. Hawaii Archipelago and Pacific Remote Islands Area Fisheries
    A. Moku Pepa
    B. Enforcement Report
    C. Community Issues
    1. Small Boat Fisheries in Hawaii
    2. Hawaii Community Coordinator Projects
    3. Fish Labeling Issues
    4. Haleiwa Shark Viewing
    D. Hawaii Precious Coral Fisheries
    1. Report on CITES Corallium Workshops
    E. Main Hawaiian Islands Bottomfish Fisheries
    1. Western Pacific Stock Assessment Review of Hawaii bottomfish
    2. Report on Catch Shares Task Force
    F. FMP Amendment for Managements of Hancock Seamount
    G. Hawaii Education Report
    H. Legislative Report
    I. SSC Recommendations
    J. Public Comment
    K. Council Discussion and Action

Fishers Forum: Fishermen as Scientists

6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Wednesday, October 21, 2009

    Aloha Tower Marketplace, Pier 11

9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Thursday, October 22, 2009

    10. Program Planning and Research
    A. Recommendations for Annual Catch Limits for Known-MSY Species in 
the Western Pacific
    B. Data Collection
    1. Update on Marine Recreational Improvement Program
    2. Recommendations on Recreational Fishery Permitting and Reporting 
in the Western Pacific Region
    C.3. Report on the Non-Commercial Fisheries Advisory Committee 
Meeting
    D. Recommendations for Aquaculture Management in the Western 
Pacific
    1. Proposed Changes to the Council's Aquaculture Policy (Action)
    2. Options for Aquaculture Management in the Western Pacific
    E. Recommendations for Framework Process for Council Actions
    F. Research
    1. Information and Data Needs for Archipelago FEPs
    G. Habitat
    1. Habitat Assessment and Improvement Plan
    2. Report on Deep-slope Habitat Workshop
    H. Compensation for Fishermen Excluded from Pacific Monuments
    I. National and International Education and Outreach Reports
    J. SSC Recommendations
    K. Public Hearing
    L. Council Discussion and Action - Sean Martin
    11. Pelagic and International Fisheries Committee Chair
    A. Action Items
    1. Recommendations for Management of Hawaii Longline Tuna Quota 
(Action)
    2. Recommendations for Territorial Longline Quotas (Action)
    3. Recommendations for Options for Shortline Management in the Main 
Hawaiian Islands Longline Exclusion Zone
    4. Options for Management of Tuna and Seamount Monchong at the 
Cross Seamount
    B. Longline Fishery Quarterly Reports
    1. American Samoa Longline Fishery
    2. Hawaii Limited-entry Longline Fishery
    C. Hawaii Longline Shark Bycatch Information
    D. Report on U.S. Purse Seine Fishing in the Western Pacific
    E. International Fisheries/Meetings
    1. Western & Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
    a. Science Committee
    b. Northern Committee
    c. Technical Compliance Committee
    2. North Pacific Seamount Regional Fisheries Management 
Organization
    F. Sea Turtle Advisory Committee Recommendations
    G. Pelagic Plan Team Recommendations
    H. SSC Recommendations
    I. Public Hearing
    J. Council Discussion and Action

9 a.m. - noon, Friday, October 23, 2009

    12. Administrative Matters and Budgets
    A. Financial Report
    1. Five Year Budget and Program 2010-14

[[Page 50175]]

    B. Administrative Report
    C. Meetings and Workshops (Calendar)
    D. Council Family Changes
    E. Recommendations on Changes to Standard Operation Proceedings & 
Practices (Action)
    1. NMFS Operational Guidelines
    2. GAO Recommendations
    F. Update on General Accounting Office Recommendations
    G. Executive and Budget Standing Committee Recommendations
    H. Public Comment
    I. Council Discussion and Action
    13. Other Business
    A. Ethics Guidance
    B. Closed Session
    1. Personnel Matters
    2. General Counsel Report to Council on Litigation
    B. Election of Officers
    C. 147th Council Meeting
    Non-emergency issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
the Council for discussion and formal Council action during its 146th 
meeting. However, Council action on regulatory issues will be 
restricted to those issues specifically listed in this document and any 
regulatory issue arising after publication of this document that 
requires emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Act, provided the public has been notified of the Council's intent to 
take action to address the emergency.

Special Accommodations

    These meetings are physically accessible to people with 
disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other 
auxiliary aids should be directed to Kitty M. Simonds, (808) 522-8220 
(voice) or (808) 522-8226 (fax), at least 5 days prior to the meeting 
date.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: September 25, 2009.
Tracey L. Thompson,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-23512 Filed 9-29-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S